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Surrounded by dozens of onlookers, Donna Warr gently rolls back a black sheet.
Underneath, the strong, familiar lines of a classic Holden Monaro are slowly revealed.
The spotless machine glimmers before the crowd.
She smiles with tears in her eyes as she reflects on one of many projects of her late husband, Nigel.
"This was his dream car," she said.
The late Nigel Warr's Red CentreNATS winning 1974 Holden HQ Ute was back in Alice Springs this year. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)
"He wanted a car like he grew up with."
Mr Warr died suddenly last year.
Revheads delight in burnouts and drag
It was one of the many spectacles on display over the Father's Day weekend at Red CentreNATS, with the event transforming Alice Springs into a motorhead mecca for the 10th year.
While Mr Warr never completed restoring the 1974 coupe himself, it didn't stop his family from picking things up where he left them.
"After Nigel passed, we all decided that we were going to finish it and bring it here to the Red CentreNATS in his honour," Ms Warr said.
Mr Warr's 1974 Holden Monaro HQ Coupe was finished by friends and family to be unveiled at Red CentreNATS 2024. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)
"He loved being with his mates working on cars, he loved the camaraderie."
Nigel Warr was CentreNATS royalty.
In 2022, he was crowned grand champion of the event and for this year's iteration the 2024 trophy was renamed in his honour.
High-octane action celebrated in 10th year
More than 800 meticulously crafted cars and motorbikes took part in this year's line-up of drags, burnouts and car displays, with more than 10,000 attendances recorded by organisers.
Punters revelled in the sights and sounds of burnouts in Alice Springs. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)
The weekend also featured Australia's largest street parade of its kind, with hundreds of highly modified vehicles granted a unique permit to cruise the packed town centre on Saturday afternoon.
Red CentreNATS director Andy Lopez said the high-octane activities attract revheads from across the country for the festival of wheels each year.
"You drive into town, and you might see an eight-second drag car driving down the road next to you or a blown burnout car driving through the Macca's drive-through," he said.
"It's something to be seen."
Drag racing competitors enjoy the dry conditions of Central Australia. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)
Mr Lopez said he was proud of what had been achieved in 10 years of Red CentreNATS.
"It just shows how much the automotive community in Australia loves this event," he said.
"It's a long way to get here, no matter where you come from."
In a fitting victory, Nigel Warr's son Thomas was awarded the top prize at this year's CentreNATS, competing in his late father's bright red HQ ute.
Thomas Warr and his 1974 Holden HQ Ute were crowned Red CentreNATS champion in 2024. (
Supplied: NT Major Events Company)
Ms Warr hopes her late husband's projects will inspire others to achieve their dreams.
"I think what [Nigel's] legacy is for all of us is that whatever it is that you want to do in life, reach out and grab it," she said.
"Don't wait for tomorrow, because tomorrow is never promised."